A White Heron by Sarah Orne Jewett | In-Depth Summary and Analysis

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Course Hero Literature Instructor Shobha Tharoor Srinivasan provides an in-depth analysis of the plot, characters, symbols, and themes of Sarah Orne Jewett's short story A White Heron.

Download the free study guide for A White Heron here: https://www.coursehero.com/lit/A-Whit...

Sarah Orne Jewett's "A White Heron" brings together themes of childhood innocence, conservation versus greed, and freedom in nature through the eyes of Sylvia, the solitary nine-year-old girl who moves away from the big city into the woods. Jewett walks us through how Sylvia comes alive in nature in a story about a coming of age. Sylvia meets a hunter who fills her heart with a dream of love. The young girl feels conflicted and ultimately makes her choice between her newfound friend for whom she feels a loving admiration and her true friend who makes her feel alive—nature.

American author Sarah Orne Jewett's "A White Heron" was first published in 1886. Jewett developed a deep love for the beauty of her local landscape. "A White Heron" remains one of Jewett's most popular and celebrated short stories.

The short story "A White Heron" contains many important themes, including conservation versus greed, as rural, natural environments were transformed into urban environments as society shifted to mass production; freedom in nature, as Jewett's obvious love of nature, as well as her focus on childhood imagination and freedom, helps classify "A White Heron" as Romantic rather than realist literature; and childhood innocence/coming of age, as both the author and her characters reject the transition from childhood to adulthood. The short story also contains many important symbols including the white heron, the jackknife, and the pine tree.

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